Citroen shows off new C4 Picasso

Citroen is on a bit of a roll lately, what with the C1, C4 and C6 all having the sort of looks that don't make you sink in the seat when you drive past your mates.

Now, those cunning French have done it again, only this time you can take your mates along for the ride in the new seven-seat C4 Picasso.

Gone is the gawky, egg-shaped look of the Xsara Picasso and in its place comes crisp lines. A panoramic windscreen reaches up and over where you'd normally expect it to stop, while large front-quarter windows should give excellent vision. There's also a giant sunroof available to give the C4 Picasso's cabin a very airy feel.

The second and third rows of seats all fold flat into the floor, so there's no need to remove them, and Citroen says it has come up with the best system for this yet. To gain access to the third row, a button on the side of each outer middle row seat flips up the backrest and slides the seat forward one movement.

Other features to make the interior more pleasant include automatic air-conditioning, laminated side windows to reduce noise entering from outside, and an air quality sensor that prevents pollutants from entering the cabin.

In a bid to make the C4 Picasso as comfortable as possible for passengers, Citroen has employed some of its old magic to come up with rear air suspension.

Also on offer will be Citroen's new parking space measurement system, to help those who find parallel parking a bit tricky.

A 2.0-litre petrol engine with 143bhp will be on offer from launch, alongside 110- and 138bhp turbodiesels. All come with a six-speed manual gearbox.

The C4 Picasso makes its debut at next month's Paris motor show and UK prices should start around the £17,000 mark.

The Xsara Picasso will continue to be sold alongside the C4 model as a budget MPV.

© Source: original article on topgear